Ejovi Nuwere

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Taco Yaki. If you have ever been to Osaka you have probably had Taco Yaki. If you haven’t been, allow me to describe these wonderful delights. Taco (really spelled Tako) is Japanese for octopus, Yaki means fried.

While walking through America Town in Osaka, which is odd, since I’m usually the only American in the town. I would find three or four old men with stalls. In their metal stalls they have iron plates, six inches by three–scientists most have at some point identified this as the ideal measurement. The middle has six oval holes sort of like the spaces you place eggs in your refrigerator.

The old men with lighting fast hands, pour batter into the oval holes, at least I think its batter. Next they drop small pieces of octopus with one last layer of batter. A few seconds later the batter and octopus become balls.

Quickly he plops the balls into a cardboard box and gives you plastic forks. You know the really tiny ones with only two teeth.

I don’t know why, but everyone attempts to eat the Taco Yaki immediately after getting it and inevitably burns their mouths with the first Taco Yaki. Then thinking that the others might have cooled down in the few seconds past they go one by one through the other Taco Yaki’s burning their mouth six time over.

Why do we torture ourselves so much? Why did I burn my mouth every weekend eating these small things, well…because everyone else eats it hot and it taste good. And the old men work so hard, that you feel obligated to eat it while they watch.